A Mother's Apprehension
by ViolaMoon
Summary: A dark and stormy night, Dumbledore appears at the Lupin's door. He wants Remus to go to Hogwarts but Hope is not so sure.


A/N: A submission for the International Wizarding School Competition:

[School]: Ilvermorny

[Year] standing in for year 6

[Prompts]:

Main: [Quote] "Don't let yesterday take up too much of today." - W Rogers

[Additional: [Weather] Thunderstorm, [Dialogue] "Sometimes doing the best thing for the one you love means doing nothing at all."

[Theme]: The Burrow

[Restriction/Special Rule] Setting: Remus Lupin's childhood home

[WC]: 1027

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**A Mother's Apprehension**

* * *

How could Hope possibly allow her son, her precious boy, to leave the safety of her home and go to this school? A school she had never seen but only heard of from her husband. Now, there was a man at the door who said he could go. That it was safe.

Ever since that night, that awful night, when Remus was just shy of five years old, Hope and her husband Lyall had done everything they could to protect him. It had thundered too on that night, just like it did now. The wind howled, and it was pitch black from the rain. Only difference was that night, there had been another howl in the air.

They had tried to prevent Dumbledore's entry; they had decided Remus wouldn't be attending the school. It wasn't safe for him and it wasn't safe for the students. But somehow, when they turned around after getting the professor to leave, they found him sitting by the fire with Remus. Remus seemed unfazed by the appearance of the older gentleman. He had asked him to play Gobstones with him and offered him a crumpet. After they had finished their game, Hope sent Remus up to his room so they could speak privately with the professor.

"I can understand your apprehension, Mrs Lupin," the man said. Her husband had introduced him as Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. "You want your son to be safe and I want that for all my students." His eyes were kind and Hope could tell that he was sincere. But still… they had moved so many times to protect him; when neighbours and friends got suspicious, when there was talk of werewolves amongst them. They needed to do their part to protect him and at that school, she couldn't protect him.

"Mr Dumbledore, I appreciate you coming here, but how are you going to prevent him being bullied for his condition, from being isolated and keeping him and the other students safe once a month?" she asked, and she saw her husband nod in agreement.

"Yes, isn't it better that I keep teaching him? It is safer for all concerned. We can make sure that Remus gets his education without the risk of him being ousted as a werewolf," Lyall added. Outside the window, a lightning bolt could be seen in the distance, rain sprayed against the rattling window and the wind whistled through the crack under the door.

"I still feel, in no disrespect, Professor… that I can, we can protect him better ourselves. He gets so ill around the full moon. He needs us," Hope insisted. Surely only his parents would do when he was feeling so poorly.

"But will Remus be truly happy?" Dumbledore asked. "I can assure you, we have taken every precaution for him, to keep him safe, happy and healthy. You have nothing to worry about, though I know you will, I have been told that it is part of being a parent."

Hope knew that this was true. She knew that her son was lonely, that in their haste to protect him, to keep their boy safe and healthy, that he had no friends. Maybe this would be an opportunity for him to finally have some?

"But what happens when his classmates find out that he is a werewolf? Parents will be calling for his expulsion," Lyall said, voicing his wife's concern.

"Also, he has never been away from us, how can we protect him when we are not there?" Hope said, her eyes were drawn to the dark and stormy night which mirrored her mood.

"Sometimes doing the best thing for the one you love means doing nothing at all," Dumbledore said, waving his wand so that papers appeared on the table. "He will have the time of his life at Hogwarts, I can guarantee it. Don't let what happened all those years ago to dictate his future anymore than it already has. Your son is a bright boy and he deserves the best teachers in all the wizarding world." With a bow and a crack, lightning struck outside, and Dumbledore was gone.

The pair sat in silence for what seemed like an age. Both replaying the last words of Dumbledore in their minds. Despite their love, their need to protect their boy, they needed to let him go.

"We won't always be around to protect him…" Lyall said, breaking the silence. "Maybe it would be good for him to go." He lifted up the papers Dumbledore left and began to read them. "They will provide a safe space for him to transform and their nurse will be standing by to treat him."

Hope nodded, the thunder outside had stopped, though it rained heavily still. "I know, rationally, I know that he should go. But he is my only child, our only child, and I worry so."

Lyall moved across the room and pulled her into a hug. "I know."

"It is the right thing to do… I know it is… but," Hope said.

"But it is hard to do nothing," Lyall continued for her. "I know. But he deserves to have friends, he deserves to have all the happiness we can give him, even if it means that we must send him away to school. We both know that despite our best intentions, his childhood has not been happy."

Hope squeezed him tight, hoping to gain the courage to do what needed to be done for Remus. "Okay, let's do it." She had to do what was best for him, even if it was sending him away. That was what parenting was all about, making the tough decisions. She just hoped that they had made the right choice.

The next morning, the storm cleared and with it, the sun came out to play. Remus upon hearing the news was ecstatic and wanted his father to tell him all there was to know about the school. Hope watched with quiet optimism, maybe it would be okay after all? All she could do was trust in her boy to not let his past put a damper on his future.


End file.
